Rafi Rahmani, a 21-year-old UWM Student, and Ruhongeka Ntabala, a 24-year-old UWM graduate, have released their own e-commerce app called Dityer that seeks to revolutionize how we interact with small businesses.
Dityer is a new Milwaukee-based e-commerce app that plans to offer same day one- to five-hour delivery. Dityer will have a wide selection of retailers and will work a lot like other e-commerce apps, but unlike other e-commerce delivery services, it will include local businesses.
The app was built to empower small businesses, giving them a modern app-based store. Dityer will make it possible for local stores to be able to adapt to the current market and to be able to reach a wider audience. It will be a much cheaper alternative for retailers to sell online.
“Dityer is like a virtual mall,” said Rahmani. “We want to push businesses into the digital age.”
Ntabala is the CEO and founder of Dityer. Rahmani is the business development and partnership manager. Ntabala spent two years creating and developing the app before Rahmani was brought in.
Ntabala and Rahmani believe that the current state of e-commerce is dominated by Amazon. Rahmani stated that Amazon has been killing a lot of local businesses, especially during the pandemic.
Ntabala and Rahmani want to empower Milwaukee local businesses, promote safety with contactless delivery, and encourage innovation. The two want local businesses to be a part of the future. Rahmani believes that it is very rare to have a system that creates win-win situations for accessibility and shopping local, but they feel that they did it with Dityer.
“Dityer is Milwaukee’s home-grown solution to the retail crisis our economy is facing,” said Rahmani.
Dityer not only will have a purchase section but will also include a section to sell online as well. People will be able to list their own items on the app and sell them. Dityer will also provide the ability to send mail or packages to family and friends.
Beyond its buy and sell services, Dityer also offers positions for delivery drivers, paying $17 to $22 per hour, through a separate app called Dityer Driver.
“It’s an ecosystem for buyers, sellers, and drivers,” said Rahmani.
Dityer will offer services in Milwaukee, Brookfield, Wauwatosa, West Allis, Racine and Shorewood. Rahmani and Ntabala have hopes of being able to expand to different areas in the United States.
The pre-launch for Dityer is scheduled for Aug. 28, and the app can be downloaded at any time from the App Store and Google Play store. Store owners interested in having products listed can check out Dityer’s website.
Dityer will also have an exclusive promotion for UWM students. If students sign up before the 28th of August with their UWM emails, students get a free week of deliveries.